L.A. Confidential (1997)
Everything is suspect... Everyone is for sale... And nothing is what it seems.
Three detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 19 September 1997 |
| Genre | Crime, Mystery, Thriller |
| Director | Curtis Hanson |
| Starring | Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce |
| Runtime | 138 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.8/10 · Metacritic 91/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 99% · IMDb 8.2/10 · TMDB users 7.8/10 |
Where to watch L.A. Confidential
L.A. Confidential is streaming on Prime Video ($13.98 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Prime Video is $13.98 at list price.
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What kind of watch this is
Curtis Hanson’s 1997 crime thriller runs 138 minutes and treats the 1950s Los Angeles police force as a marketplace where every badge has a price tag. Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, and Guy Pearce play three detectives who solve a diner murder with three different shades of cynicism. The film is a slow burn that trusts you to keep up with its noir references and moral gray areas. It is not a movie about good guys winning; it is a movie about bad guys negotiating. The tagline promises that nothing is what it seems, and the script delivers on that threat with a vengeance.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes rates the film 99% as of January 2026, with 162 out of 163 reviews positive. Metacritic gives it a 91 out of 100. Roger Ebert called it "one of the best films of the year." Janet Maslin described the Australian leads as "revelations." The consensus calls it a smart, popcorn-friendly thrill ride.
Awards
The film swept the Big Four critics' awards, joining Schindler's List, The Social Network, and One Battle After Another as one of only 4 films to do so. At the 1998 Academy Awards, Kim Basinger won Best Supporting Actress, and Brian Helgeland took Best Adapted Screenplay. It also claimed the National Board of Review Award for Best Film and the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film. Six wins from 9 nominations.
What came next for the cast
Before 1997, Russell Crowe was in The Quick and the Dead and Virtuosity. After, he starred in Gladiator, Man of Steel, and A Beautiful Mind. Kevin Spacey had Se7en and The Usual Suspects under his belt, then came Baby Driver, American Beauty, and Horrible Bosses. Guy Pearce moved from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert to Iron Man 3, Memento, and Prometheus. James Cromwell had Babe and Eraser under his belt, then came The Green Mile, Spider-Man 3, and I, Robot. The credits list what followed. They do not claim the film caused the shift.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched L.A. Confidential.
Sources
- L.A. Confidential on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q339876 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “L.A. Confidential (film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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